Instagram Has Made Carousels Easier to Build.

Here’s how you should use them in your beauty business.

On 7 October, Instagram added carousel editing to its Edits app, as reported by Social Media Today. You can now build a carousel from photos and video clips in one place, using layouts, fonts, text styles, overlays, effects, and stickers you cut out yourself.

It’s available on iPhone now, and Instagram says Android is coming soon.

That’s useful, because carousels are one of the best formats a salon can post. Here’s why, and how to make the most of this update.

Why carousels work for beauty businesses

A single photo shows a result. A carousel tells the story behind it.

In 27 years in this industry, I’ve learnt that clients don’t book because a photo is pretty. They book because they trust you to give them the same result. A carousel gives you room to build that trust slide by slide: the consultation, the process, the finish and the aftercare.

It also gives people a reason to save your post and come back to it, and a saved post is a booking waiting to happen.

What’s changed with Edits

Until now, many salon owners have built carousels in one app, edited video in another and added text somewhere else. Now you can mix photos and short video clips in the same carousel, add your text and layouts, and do it all in one app.

Less switching between apps means less time spent on content and more time with clients.

Four carousels every salon should have

1. The process carousel. Take one treatment from start to finish. Show the consultation, two or three steps, the result and one aftercare tip. Use a short video clip for the most satisfying moment.

2. The “which treatment is right for me” carousel. Compare two treatments that clients often confuse. Explain who each one suits, how long it lasts and what the aftercare involves. This answers the questions people ask in your DMs before they’ve even asked.

3. The policy carousel. Explain your booking, deposit and cancellation policies in plain, friendly language. When clients understand why your policies exist, they’re more likely to respect them.

4. The trend carousel. Pick a trend your clients are searching for and show your own version of it. Name it the way clients search for it so they can find you.

Keep it on brand

The new tools make it tempting to use every font, effect and sticker available. Don’t. Pick two fonts and a small set of brand colours, and use them on every carousel. When someone recognises your post before they see your name, your brand is working.

And keep your results honest. Use the effects and overlays on your graphics, never on the skin, lashes, brows or nails you’re showing as your work.

Start with one

You don’t need to build all four this week. Pick the carousel that answers the question you’re asked most, make it in Edits, and post it. Then do the next one.

If you’d like a carousel system built around your brand, with templates you can reuse every week, take a look at The Brand Edit or get in touch about a Studio Day.